The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus mounted on the front wall of a transport container to refrigerate the interior of a transport container transported by truck, train or marine vessel.
A conventional refrigeration apparatus for a transport container is shown in FIG. 31 (Japanese Utility Model Laid Open Publication No. 66779/1981). The refrigeration apparatus 100 comprises a box 101 which is mounted on a front wall of a transport container (not shown). A horizontal partition 102 divides the box 101 into upper and lower compartments 150, 151. When observed from a side wall 105 which has an exhaust outlet opening 104, the lower chamber 103 sequentially disposes an internal combustion engine 106, an electric motor-alternator 107, a refrigerant compressor 108 in a line. Additionally, a vertical partition 109 divides the above-mentioned upper compartment 150 into chambers 110 and 113. Upper and lower ends of the chambber 110 are connected to the interior of a transport container located in the rear of the apparatus. The chamber 110 is provided, when viewed from above, with an evaporator fan 111 and an evaporator 112. The other chamber 113 connects, at the lower end thereof, with the lower chamber 103, and is sequentially provided, when viewed from above, with a condenser fan 114, a condenser 115 and an engine radiator 116.
The evaporator 112 and condenser 115 are connected to the refrigerant compressor 108 through a pipe (not shown). The internal combustion engine 106 is connected to a radiator 116 through a coolant water pipe (not shown). The refrigerant compressor 108, the evaporator fan 111 and the condenser fan 114 are adapted to be driven by electricity from an electric motor-alternator 107 which is energized by the internal combustion engine 106, or they may be driven by externally provided commercial power source. Additionally, air within the transport container is, while part of the air is replaced with outside air through an unshown ventilation plate on a front panel of the apparatus, circulated by the evaporator fan 111 and cooled by the evaporator 112. On the other hand, an air introduced from the atmosphere by the condenser fan 114 through an unshown air inlet on the front panel cools the condenser 115 as well as the engine radiator 116 and the air warmed thereby is exhausted to the outlet opening 104 through the lower compartment 103.
In the meanwhile, the most important requirements for such a refrigeration apparatus for a transport container are that the weight of a refrigeration apparatus is reduced as much as possible, if externally provided commerciall power source is available, so as to maximize the loading capacity of cargo or other goods contained in a container, and that an electric generator and an internal combustion engine for driving an electric generator have high energy efficiencies.
However, with the conventional refrigeration apparatus 100 having the above-mentioned construction, it is almost impossible to remove the internal combustion engine 106 and electric motor-alternator 107 even if a commercial power supply is available, rendering an increase in maximum loading capacity impossible. This is because the internal combustion engine 106 and the engine radiator 116 are separately disposed in the lower and upper chambers 103 and 113 and are connected by a coolant water pipe, and consequently, the coolant water pipe must be removed prior to removing the engine 106. Furthermore, the radiator 116 is located in the downstream side of an air flow which is subject to radiation heat from the condenser 115, the downstream side is communicated with the lower chamber 103, and as a result, the radiator fails to have satisfactory cooling efficiency, and additionally, the internal combustion engine 106 within the lower chamber 103 receives a heated exhaust air, causing the output of the engine to drop, and the generation efficiency of the electric motor-alternator deteriorates due to a temperature rise in a coil. Namely, the energy efficiency in the entire electricity generating system disadvantageously deteriorates.